Lacing device.



No. 758,001. PATENTED APR.19, 1904.

B. T. DIXON, s3.

LAGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'ARD T. DIXON, SR, OF MILWAUKEE, VVISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HAI F TO MICHAEL W. QUIRK, J R., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LACING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 58,001, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed July 24:, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. DIXON, Sr., residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in LacingDevices, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in lacing devices more especially intended for lacing shoes.

The primary object had in View is to provide a construction wherein in connection with a series of lacing devices is employed means for drawing the tongue of the shoe smoothly and snugly over the instep.

With the above object and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as here inafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a View of a fragment of the outer side of a shoe equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the blank which forms a lacing-loop.

Referring to tlm 'drawings, the numeral 6 indicates a fragment of the upper of a shoe, and 7 7 the flaps, which are drawn together by the lacing string or cord. The forward lower portions of these flaps have extending therethrough, near the inner free edges there-* of, the usual eyelets 8. Disposed at intervals apart along said inner edges of the flaps from the points where the eyelets discontinue and preferably arranged in zigzag relation to each other are a series of lacing-loops. These loops are each preferably formed from a blank strip 9, (shown in detail in Fig. 3,) said strip provided with rounded apertured extremities 10 10. The strip is bent centrally into an elongated U form, and the legs or members of the U are made to embrace the edge of the flap, the bend, however, projecting far enough from the edge of said flap to form a clear opening 11 for the passage therethrough of the shoe string or cord. The loops are se- Serial No. 69,464. (No model.)

cured in place by passing rivets 12 or other securing devices through the leather and through the registering apertures of thecircular ends 10 of each loop.

The shoe strings or cords are indicated by the numeral 13, and one of the lengths of the shoe string or. cord is passed through the eyelets 8, and from the terminal upper eyelet on one side it is carried through the first loop, thence extended through to the loop of the opposite flap, and so on throughout the lacing operation. The other length of the cord or string is passed through one of the lower eyelets to the inside of the shoe, thence continued upwardly on said inside of the shoe through a series of slits 14, formed near the free edge of the tongue 15, the said cord being finally passed through an upper eyelet 16 to the outside of the shoe. The opposite edge of the tongue is secured, as usual, by a stitch-line 17. It is obvious that when the lengths of the cord are arranged as described and a pull is given to the ends of said lengths the flaps of the shoe are not only drawn together, but at the same time the tongue is drawn smoothly and snugly over the instep of the foot, and the discomfort incident to the tongue wrinkling or doubling over is thereby avoided.

In the use of my invention if it is desired to remove the shoe from the foot the lacing-cord is untied and the flaps 7 pulled apart. This will at once loosen the cords and permit the foot to be readily drawn from the shoe without the necessity of pulling said cords out of the loops or without the necessity of unlacing the cords from the ordinary lacing-hooks, as is usual in the form of construction now in general use. When it is desired to put the shoe on the foot, it is only necessary that the lacing-cords should be loose, as above explained, when of course the shoe may be readily drawn onto the foot. The upper ends of the lengths of cords are then grasped and pulled, and this has the effect of drawing the flaps closely together, and at the same time the tongue is drawn smoothly and snugly over the instep of the foot.

While I prefer to employ the particular style of lacing-loop shown in the accompanying drawings, yet I do not limit myself thereto, inasmuch as any other desirable device may be provided with which the cords may be engagedas, for instance, the ordinary form of lacing-hooks.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In lacing devices, the combination of a shoe having flaps, a tongue secured'along one edge and on the inside of one of the flaps, and having its opposite free edge overlapping the inside of the other flap, and said tongue provided throughout its length With a series of slits, a series of lacing devices arranged at intervals apart, anda shoe string or cord, one length thereof engaging alternately the lacing devices of the opposite flaps, and the other length passing through one of the flaps to the inside of said flap, then passed through the slits of the tongue, and finally passed through the upper portion of said flap to the outside thereof.

2. The combination with a shoe having flaps, a tongue, and lacing devices located along the edges of the flaps, of means for drawing the shoe-tongues smooth, comprising a shoe-lacing having a portion of the length thereof engaging the lacing devices, and another portion thereof carried longitudinally of and engaging the free edge of the tongue and also passingthrough an opening at the upper end of one of the flaps.

3. The combination With a shoe having flaps, a tongue, and lacing devices located along the edges of the flaps, of means for drawing the tongue smooth, comprising a shoe-lacing having a portion'of the length thereof engaging the lacing devices, and another portion of the length thereof extended longitudinally of and passing through a plurality of openings in the free edge of the tongue. and also through an opening at the upper end of one of the flaps.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD Tr DIXON, SR. Witnesses:

C. T. BENEDICT, MICHAEL W. QUIRK. 

